Unbiased oral health information

Glossary

Crown lengthening

A surgical procedure performed on extensively decayed or damaged teeth, to increase the amount of healthy tooth structure protruding into the mouth.
Learn more: Procedures › Periodontal surgery

View animation Hard Tissue Crown Lengthening

Subgingival chips like that on this molar tooth often require hard tissue crown lengthening surgery.

Figure 1: This see-through view shows a subgingival chip of a lower molar tooth. Restoring the tooth properly, such that it can be maintained by the patient, would likely require hard tissue crown lengthening surgery.